The FLEX 24 V Turbo finished first overall. It drove three 5-inch lag
bolts in an average of 5.36 seconds, stalled at 454 in-lbs — one inch-pound behind the
leader — held a chrome-plated bit to 210 in-lbs, drilled 4.5 inches of concrete in a
minute, and spun the fastest no-load speed in the group at 2,361 RPM. The cost of all
that is bulk: at just over 6 lbs it is the heaviest drill here and a little larger
than the competition.
The Milwaukee M18 finished second at 2.8 and is the better buy if the drill has to
work in tight spaces. It made the most working torque of anything tested at 455
in-lbs, is the shortest front to back at 6.94 inches, and was one of only three drills
— with the DeWalt and the FLEX — that could drive all three lag bolts in top gear,
where the DeWalt was fastest at 2.31 seconds against 2.79 for the FLEX and 3.08 for
the Milwaukee. It is also the loudest drill in the lineup at 95.9 dB. The Makita is a
quieter, more relaxed version of the same tool: the best chuck grip in the test at 218
in-lbs, 7 inches long, 401 in-lbs of torque, and no result that reads as a weakness.
For value the Hercules is hard to argue with at $70 for the bare tool. Its 368 in-lbs
of torque and 5.82-second lag bolt average beat drills costing three times as much,
and its ratcheting chuck held to 159 in-lbs. Two caveats: it has no hammer mode, so
concrete is out, and its clutch does not release until 47 in-lbs, which rules it out
for delicate fasteners. The DeWalt has the same clutch problem at 32 in-lbs despite
cutting the deepest concrete hole at 4.56 inches — an electronic clutch with a very
soft start, and an area both brands could improve. At the budget end, the Kimo and
SKIL are light and quiet but stall at 107 and 82 in-lbs, and the Craftsman's brushed
motor takes about twice as long as the leaders on every fastener. Any of the top four
— FLEX, Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt — is worth buying if the price is right.